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[mike515]

I was just thinking yesterday how gear obsessed the new guys are. I mean I think it’s good that things have evolved (to a certain point), but how much is too much?

I remember the old days when you got a 150’ piece of safety blue with a clip, a saddle, spikes and a short line (lanyard). Here’s how to tie your climbing knot.(taughtline hitch), now let’s get to the actual tree work. I almost feel bad for kids these days.

That's pretty much what I still climb with. No spikes on trims. I also use a throw ball and have incorporated ascenders into the mix. Wish I would have started using the ascenders years ago but I actually only use them once in a while now because I'm so used to climbing without them that I forget I have them.

I still have the same spikes and saddle that I started climbing with 30 years ago. We have a bunch of other gear too but I'm just talking about the stuff I use. I was training a kid the other day and sent him up a pretty easy spruce. 25-30 feet tall. No obstacles. Could have just dropped it but it was a good training tree. I let him wear my spikes and told him it's better to have them too tight rather than too loose. He understood my point about 8 feet off the ground. He told me when he got done that he has no idea how I can wear those all day. You just do.

 

[Haplo]

Climbing on a knot today

 

[tree MDS]

Nice load on the log truck today. Hardly even knew it was there. Really got this loader down now too.

 

[mikewhite85]

My dad sent me this pic today of the "polesaw" he created to dismantle a hung up tree.

I assume he torqued the hi jet on the carb to get it running fast and used the ladder as leverage to hold the saw up.




The saw is an ancient Partner that my grandfather owned over 50 years ago.

 

[Oldmaple]

I was just thinking yesterday how gear obsessed the new guys are. I mean I think it’s good that things have evolved (to a certain point), but how much is too much?

I remember the old days when you got a 150’ piece of safety blue with a clip, a saddle, spikes and a short line (lanyard). Here’s how to tie your climbing knot.(taughtline hitch), now let’s get to the actual tree work. I almost feel bad for kids these days.

Thanks for making me feel old. Started climbing on 1/2" manila (only for a year or so before OSHA required synthetic). Three points of contact, shinnying, ways of accessing the tree. Not old enough for the bowline on a bight saddle though.

 

[mike515]

Thanks for making me feel old. Started climbing on 1/2" manila (only for a year or so before OSHA required synthetic). Three points of contact, shinnying, ways of accessing the tree. Not old enough for the bowline on a bight saddle though.

We had that old three strand when I started and I remember not liking the new rope right away when it came out. I preferred what I learned on at the time.

 

[Rabid K9]

Nice load on the log truck today. Hardly even knew it was there. Really got this loader down now too. View attachment 983929
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Do you ever feel like you going to throw yourself off the Captains chair up there?

 

[Oldmaple]

We had that old three strand when I started and I remember not liking the new rope right away when it came out. I preferred what I learned on at the time.

That first three strand synthetic was horrible. I heard a lot of complaining about it from the old-timers at the time, they all wanted to go back to the manila and some of them did. When they came out with the 12 strand braided it was a lot nicer for sure.

 

[tree MDS]

Do you ever feel like you going to throw yourself off the Captains chair up there?

No, but it is was a little freaky climbing up and down from that thing in the beginning. Would be a long way down… speaking of three points of contact.

 

[ZinTrees]

got the 200t, dude had this 395 sitting there, so I snagged it too, both run like a top, 395 has been rebuilt, ported, and decomp plugged, got a 30" light bar with a full skip chain on it, will see how it does tomorrow, gonna play with the 200 in the morning, wake up the neighbors, its missing the winter shutter so I gotta get one of those

also ordered a treemotion, 200ft drenaline, monkeybeaver suspenders, and a monkeybeaver speedline kit, feeling good today!

 

[ZinTrees]

forgot to mention, the guy gave me a 14" light bar for the 200 as well, had a 043 14" b&C on it, I put that on the 194, and swapped the 200 over to the light bar, its balance is great
im excited to run them tomorrow, I recon itll be great, just a little loud lol

 

[tree MDS]

Had an interesting week with breakdowns, but powered through. First the powered functions on the new lift died. Thankfully under warranty and amazingly enough Tracked Lifts had a road tech in state and was there in an hour. That was Wednesday, he was back Friday when the part came, but had some problems, so waiting for another part. But they’re working on it. Service while under warranty is quite impressive actually.

So we finished that job with the bucket Thursday, then on the next job the mini giant sprung a hydraulic leak. We just dealt with it ourselves. Turned out to be a blown out O ring in this valve on the inside of the steering column. Actually managed to fix that Friday morning and go out and make a decent day of it regardless, so that was good. Nice to have a double fleet sometimes lol.

 

[Rabid K9]

got the 200t, dude had this 395 sitting there, so I snagged it too, both run like a top, 395 has been rebuilt, ported, and decomp plugged, got a 30" light bar with a full skip chain on it, will see how it does tomorrow, gonna play with the 200 in the morning, wake up the neighbors, its missing the winter shutter so I gotta get one of those

also ordered a treemotion, 200ft drenaline, monkeybeaver suspenders, and a monkeybeaver speedline kit, feeling good today!
View attachment 984663

I hope he gave you a discount for taking the orange peril with the 200?

 

[tree MDS]

I hope he gave you a discount for taking the orange peril with the 200?

Zzzz..... I'll take whichever one is the sharpest...

 

[Rabid K9]

Zzzz..... I'll take whichever one is the sharpest...

No good being sharp when the bastard won't start....

 

[Rabid K9]

Had an interesting week with breakdowns, but powered through. First the powered functions on the new lift died. Thankfully under warranty and amazingly enough Tracked Lifts had a road tech in state and was there in an hour. That was Wednesday, he was back Friday when the part came, but had some problems, so waiting for another part. But they’re working on it. Service while under warranty is quite impressive actually.

So we finished that job with the bucket Thursday, then on the next job the mini giant sprung a hydraulic leak. We just dealt with it ourselves. Turned out to be a blown out O ring in this valve on the inside of the steering column. Actually managed to fix that Friday morning and go out and make a decent day of it regardless, so that was good. Nice to have a double fleet sometimes lol.


View attachment 984760
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Hydraulic leaks & electrical gremlins!!

Oh the joy they bring.... had an O ring leak on a pressure relief valve in my Vermeer skid, kept blowing out, was costing me hundreds a week just keeping hydraulic oil up to it, finally Vermeer fixed under warranty, just had the tail lights replaced on the chip truck, came back with more electrical issues than it went in with, including the range transfer switch on the gearbox. Rolling with punches just one of the many challenges everyday.

Had a low tech finish to the week after some solid jobs, national park job, walk into a remote creek, cutting out figs prior to winter flows. Staunch devils, all twisted & bowed over, intertwined with large woody debris in the channel & boulders along banks. Certainly a good days exercise thrashing around in that terrain all day making billions of cuts, then decent climb out at end of the day.

 

[Helmstein]

Had an interesting week with breakdowns, but powered through. First the powered functions on the new lift died. Thankfully under warranty and amazingly enough Tracked Lifts had a road tech in state and was there in an hour. That was Wednesday, he was back Friday when the part came, but had some problems, so waiting for another part. But they’re working on it. Service while under warranty is quite impressive actually.

So we finished that job with the bucket Thursday, then on the next job the mini giant sprung a hydraulic leak. We just dealt with it ourselves. Turned out to be a blown out O ring in this valve on the inside of the steering column. Actually managed to fix that Friday morning and go out and make a decent day of it regardless, so that was good. Nice to have a double fleet sometimes lol.


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We had a hell of a time with this one leak below the joystick In the valve body on our giant. Fist year it was at the dealer "newtown power equipment" 4 plus times and over 10 weeks of total down time. Ended up switching dealers to MTE turf. They were able to fix the issue the first visit. I was a very unhappy person during that first year. After all the bugs got worked out and switching to a dealer that actually could fix the issue, I'm happy to say the giant 254t is the best investment I have ever made. It all comes down to dealer support in the end!

I'm glad to hear that Omme has great dealer support. That's the one thing I'm concerned about when the easy lift 87-48aj gets here. Dealer is in Canada. I might need to learn French! Bonjour! LOL

We also had a hell of a time with the hoses on our BMG rotator grapple loosening.. Also rhe rotator guard used to be made out of cast steel. One day we were chipping and I saw it sitting on the feed table of the chipper. We dodged a bullet with that one. One call to branch manager and they warranty all replacement parts and even sent me a spare hose kit to replace the hoses that were loosening up on us. GREAT COMPANY!

 

[mikewhite85]

Removed 8 large pinoaks for the borough this week. Used a crane on day 3. Lots of wires around. I think we could have done it quicker with just the bucket and grcs. Not much money was made but I've chalked it up a a good learning experience!

2 of my guys took the ISA exam this week. One passed with an 87 (pictured). We'll get big Dave on the retake!

 

[jefflovstrom]

got the 200t, dude had this 395 sitting there, so I snagged it too, both run like a top, 395 has been rebuilt, ported, and decomp plugged, got a 30" light bar with a full skip chain on it, will see how it does tomorrow, gonna play with the 200 in the morning, wake up the neighbors, its missing the winter shutter so I gotta get one of those

also ordered a treemotion, 200ft drenaline, monkeybeaver suspenders, and a monkeybeaver speedline kit, feeling good today!
View attachment 984663

Can you believe I liked your post?,, lol, you are growing on me, but I wish you would stop skipping school!!
Jeff
It was a beautiful day!

 

[ZinTrees]

Can you believe I liked your post?,, lol, you are growing on me, but I wish you would stop skipping school!!
Jeff
It was a beautiful day!

im homeschooled, no skipping for me